RUBY BRIDGES

[sheshe2]

Meet Ruby Bridges.

At 6 years old, she was the first Black child to attend an all-White elementary school in the south.

For her to attend school her first day, men with guns had to make way through a crowd of grown men and women screaming “nigger”, threatening her life and waving confederate flags.

Nearly all the teachers abandoned the school except for one. In her classroom, all her classmates abandoned the class refusing to sit with the 6 yr old.

For the entire school year, Ruby went to school to a classroom that was just her and the one teacher that didn't refuse her. She wouldn't eat any food that wasn’t pre-packaged and sealed because White protestors frequently threatened to poison her like a rat.

Ruby is only 65 years old today, younger than most of your parents.

If you think America doesn’t have dramatic and urgent work to do on racial equity, you still have blinders on.

Read More: https://progressiveerupts.blogspot.com/2020/06/ruby-bridges.html

Her teacher:

In Her Own Words: Barbara Henry’s Experience

A Personal Essay by Ruby Bridges’s Teacher

by Barbara Henry

Ruby Bridges and her teacher, Barbara Henry, then and now.




In 1960, when a six-year-old African American girl named Ruby Bridges was allowed to enroll at the previously all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana, no teacher was willing to teach her…except Barbara Henry.



From social alienation and threats of physical violence to aggression from her own principal and fellow teachers, Barbara fought every day to give Ruby as normal an elementary school education as possible.



Barbara was kind enough to write the personal essay below about her experience of being the teacher to the remarkable and brave Ruby.

More: http://www.judynewmanatscholastic.com/blog/2017/11/barbara_henry/

[hlthe2b]

1. That Norman Rockwell print is one of my all time favorites.

Thank you to the courage of Ruby Bridges and so many others.

[sheshe2]

3. Mine too, hlthe2b

I thank Ruby and Mrs. Henry for their courage.

Ruby and Obama

[StarfishSaver]

8. I wonder if Ruby Bridges' mother would have believed it if,

Last edited Tue Jun 16, 2020, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)

in 1960, as she watched her little girl head off to school surrounded by federal marshals, someone had told her that in less than 50 years, her daughter would stand in the White House with a black President of the United States admiring a Norman Rockwell painting depicting her on that day ...

[sheshe2]

16. Pretty amazing, wasn't it.

Ruby Bridges' is a hero in my eyes. Her teacher and the marshal that she had reunions with are as well.

[brer cat]

2. A brave little girl showing the grown-ups

how it's done. She paved the way for others to come behind her.

[sheshe2]

5. Brave little girl.

Remarkable child. So proud.

Kudos to Mrs. Henry and the Marshall that kept her safe.

[BSdetect]

4. Two great people at least in the story

[TreasonousBastard]

6. I remember that-- I wasn't much older myself. But even now I can't really appreciate...

her strength, and the extraordinary courage of Barbara Henry.

[Cha]

7. Amazing Story of Ruby Bridges..

To the Brilliance of Barbara Henry, Ruby Bridges, and all the beautiful People who aren't afraid of a different color in a person.

Brilliant OP, she.. Mahalo!

[sheshe2]

17. Thank you Cha.

Ruby's story moves me.

[Cha]

19. Me too.. I couldn't stop crying

at the poignant beauty of it all.

[sheshe2]

20. Her voice.

Cha~

[Cha]

22. Awww.. Perfect! You got me

started again.. but that's okay.

That peck thing cracks me up for some reason.

[sheshe2]

23. Ha.

A kiss is just a kiss~

Luv ya!

[Cha]

24. & a peck is just a peck..

It's the little smile after the peck that does it.

[milestogo]

9. It was around that time that white people fled the big cities for the suburbs.

My family included.

I remember asking why we were moving and being told that there were going to be black children coming to all the city schools and it would "make the schools bad".

I distinctly remember asking how children could make a school bad. I still wonder.

[StarfishSaver]

10. The day after President Obama's inauguration, someone sent me a meme

The first half was a picture of Ruby Bridges with the caption "1960: Federal agents escorting a little black girl to school because she was desegregating the school and racists were threatening her."

The second half was a picture of Sasha Obama getting into an SUV in the White House driveway with the caption: "2009: Federal agents escorting a little black girl to school BECAUSE HER FATHER IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!"

[volstork]

12. Would love if you could post that!

Thanks in advance, Star!

[StarfishSaver]

13. I wish I could, but I can't find it

And I can't find it anywhere online.

Sorry!

[volstork]

14. Thanks for trying!

n/t

[sheshe2]

18. Dayum.

Forty nine years later a little black girl had to be escorted to school.

Forty nine years.

[sop]

11. Still, southerners tell anyone who will listen that the confederate flag is not a symbol of hate,

that it's just about mint juleps, hoop skirts and their heritage. Every social cause conservatives have championed over the last two hundred years has been relegated to the ash heap of history.

[coti]

15. Wow. What incredible character she must have.

Who should be fucked with in that way while going to school?

[SergeStorms]

21. Her parents must have been incredible.

To be able to explain the importance of what she was doing took great courage and vision in those days. She took an almost unbearable weight on her small shoulders and won. That's take guts and determination, and she was certainly equal to the task.

[sheshe2]

27. Ruby. "She just marched along like a little soldier."

Ruby Bridges's first few weeks at Frantz School were not easy ones. Several times she was confronted with blatant racism in full view of her federal escorts. On her second day of school, a woman threatened to poison her. After this, the federal marshals allowed her to only eat food from home. On another day, she was "greeted" by a woman displaying a black doll in a wooden coffin. Ruby's mother kept encouraging her to be strong and pray while entering the school, which Ruby discovered reduced the vehemence of the insults yelled at her and gave her courage. She spent her entire day, every day, in Mrs. Henry's classroom, not allowed to go to the cafeteria or out to recess to be with other students in the school. When she had to go to the restroom, the federal marshals walked her down the hall. Several years later, federal marshal Charles Burks, one of her escorts, commented with some pride that Ruby showed a lot of courage. She never cried or whimpered. "She just marched along like a little soldier."



http://www.biography.com/people/ruby-bridges-475426?page=2

[oasis]

25. A monument erected to honor Ruby Bridges and Barbara Henry would

be worthy of consideration.

[sheshe2]

26. This.

[AwakeAtLast]

29. YES!

Put it right in a Confederate statue's place!

[Kid Berwyn]

33. Outstanding suggestion.

Thank you, oasis!

[oasis]

34. Positive symbols can go a long way in the healing process. nt

[Kid Berwyn]

35. Absolutely. My fall back...

[oasis]

36. "We must all must work to make this world worthy of children".

Beautiful thought.

[AwakeAtLast]

28. The Indianapolis Children's Museum recreated Ruby's classroom

It was about 8 or ten years ago when I saw it. I think I got more out of it than my daughter! A great exhibit about children's courage. They also had Ryan White's defaced school locker.

[sheshe2]

31. Thanks, I will check it out.

I didn't realize there was a museum.

[AwakeAtLast]

32. Yes, and it is fabulous!

I don't know if that exhibit is still there, but it may have an online history of it is not. I got goosebumps from the whole thing, but seeing the horrible words dug into that locker - with such fury! I will never forget it.

[Girl powers]

30. Bravery

Whenever i need to summon courage i think of this six year old, Ruby Bridges. I am a 79 yr old white female.